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New England Patriots won in trade with Minnesota Vikings

Joe Andruzzi

Former New England Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi, who assisted in rescuing in rescue an injured victim from the Boston Marathon attack, honors the victims and first responders of the bombings during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

FOXBOROUGH – Robert Kraft may have tipped New England’s hand Thursday night prior to first round of the NFL Draft when he noted that all it was going to take for the Patriots to get more picks was “one team that really wants it.”

But no one could have expected a team to want to get back in the first round as bad as Minnesota Vikings did when they traded four picks (second, third, fourth, seventh) to obtain the 29th overall selection. The deal resulted in a 648-640 win for the Patriots on the trade value chart.

More importantly, it gives New England the flexibility to address several areas of need and walk away with a stronger overall class. Here’s a look at a few things the Patriots may try to do.

Double up on receivers: The Patriots are barren at the outside receiver position after releasing Brandon Lloyd and letting Deion Branch and Donte’ Stallworth walk. Now they are in a position where they can double up on receivers, much like they did in 2011 with running backs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen.

This approach would allow the team to grab a more polished receiver that can help immediately – USC’s Robert Woods, Cal’s Keenan Allen or Tennessee’s Justin Hunter – and draft a more athletic player with upside later on, such as Oregon State’s Markus Wheaton or Tennessee Tech’s Quinton Patton.

If one of those players is favored and appears to be in danger of coming off the board, the team should have more than enough ammunition to trade up into the first half of the second round.

Take a gamble: With just five picks entering the draft, it was going to be difficult for New England to take a gamble on a potentially overlooked asset. A few players who fit the profile this year are South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore and former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu.

Both players, at one point, were considered to be among the best in college football. Lattimore suffered a series of knee injuries that derailed his career, but he is said to be close to return. Mathieu, meanwhile, is the kind of versatile player that New England covets, but he was kicked out of school after a battle with addiction.

If he keeps his head on straight, it’s easy to see Mathieu serving in a hybrid slot/safety role and being a productive return man.

Add depth: New England now has the 52nd, 59th, 83rd, 91st, 102nd, 206th, 229th and 235th overall picks in the draft. The benefits are obvious and will allow New England to address multiple needs, which, along with receiver, exist across the defensive line and at cornerback.

Patterson: Cordarrelle Patterson, the player the Vikings selected with the pick acquired from New England, is widely believed to be the most talented receiver in this draft class. But I talked to a scout who felt that it would have been a "risky" move for the Patriots to acquire him. He comes with some baggage and there are questions about his football IQ that could have made it difficult for him to grasp New England's offense.